KUCHING: Dayak Think-Tank Association Sarawak (DTTAS) wants MPs from Sarawak and Sabah to continue demanding for one-third of parliamentary seats as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
DTTAS founder Wellie Henry Majang and deputy president Edward Awan in a joint statement said the demand is justified to restore the rights that were eroded when Singapore left Malaysia in 1965.
“This is a safeguard that has been agreed since the negotiations for the establishment of Malaysia.
“Indeed, this is a composition that has been enshrined in the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report which states that before Singapore left Malaysia, our composition should be one-third in Parliament.
“The position of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners with the Peninsula needs to be translated through a more fair and balanced allocation of expenditure and distribution of parliamentary seats than before,” they said on Thursday.
They said based on the current situation, the distribution of allocations received by Sarawak from the federal government, does not reflect a fair value.
“Under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), an allocation of RM4.47 billion has been allocated for Sarawak. The allocation is only 6.8 per cent of the total national development expenditure under the 12MP.
“The allocation is considered low compared to the state’s need to accelerate and strengthen the development gap,” DTTAS said.
They stressed that the allocation under the 12MP clearly does not reflect the needs of Sarawak by taking into account its geographical area, level of development and its status as a partner in the formation of Malaysia.
“We believe, this is not what our previous leaders expected about 59 years ago when a country called Malaysia was formed on 16 September 16, 1963.
“It is equally important to ensure a balanced distribution of parliamentary seats among the three provinces, namely the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak based on MA63,” they pointed out.
The composition of the Dewan Rakyat in Malaysia consists of 222 seats of MPs involving 166 seats in Peninsular Malaysia, 31 seats in Sarawak and 25 seats in Sabah.
“This means that the Peninsula itself can get a two-thirds majority of seats which is at least 148. This is contrary to MA63.
“This is very important in the effort to protect the privileges and recognition of Sabah and Sarawak as partners in the formation of Malaysia,” they stressed.
DTTAS said the increase in parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak will benefit the people, especially in obtaining more efficient and effective services, especially from the aspect of rural development.
“What’s more, Sarawak is the largest contributor to the country’s income, therefore the people in this state have the right to enjoy it together,” they said.
